In recent years, wireless service providers and/or, more generally, network providers have experienced a dramatic increase in wireless smart phone sales and a corresponding demand for abundant and fast data services. In some locations, the volume of mobile data traffic in 2014 is projected to be forty (40) times that of mobile data traffic consumption in 2009. Such demand causes and/or will likely cause a strain on the service providers to satisfy subscriber expectations.
Network providers employ a four-pronged approach to meet subscriber demand or curtail subscriber usage of their network(s). A first approach employed by the network providers includes improving network capabilities by installing additional network resources, such as additional cell towers for examples relating to wireless services. A second approach employed by the network providers includes offloading data servicing to WiFi hotspots, which may not be under the ownership and/or control of the network provider. A third approach includes limiting authorized use of relatively high-bandwidth mobile applications (apps) on some smart phones unless connected to a WiFi network. Such an approach is not well received by some subscribers. A fourth approach attempts to shape and/or otherwise curtail subscriber usage behavior through one or more economic incentives, such as eliminating unlimited data pricing plans. In some examples, network providers have implemented a tiered pricing scheme, in which subscribers are limited to a predetermined amount of data per time period (e.g., 100 megabytes per month).